The European Commission has been asked to look into the provision of fruit and vegetables to Maltese pupils, and whether frozen produce trumps fresh local greens.
The implementation of this EU-funded scheme in Malta has come under fire because of the delay in its launch this scholastic year, the use of single-use plastic containers, and, more recently, because of the sourcing of the fruit and vegetables.
Farmers told the Times of Malta that the fruit and vegetables provided to students were no longer being sourced from local farms, while parents complained that pupils were being given frozen produce - claims the Environment Ministry denied on Saturday (see below).
Nationalist MEP Francis Zammit Dimech, who had already filed questions in the European Parliament over the delay in local implementation in February, is now asking whether its operation in Malta breached the scheme’s regulations.
He pointed out that the European Commission stipulates that “priority should be given to fresh and local products” and that “the choice of products to be distributed in each EU country must be based on health and environmental criteria... and availability”.
The government awarded the tender to another firm
According to a press statement by the commission ahead of the scheme’s roll-out for the current scholastic year, Member States “may encourage local or regional purchasing, organic products, short supply chains…”
The European Parliament, meanwhile, says that efforts should be made in order to ensure the distribution of local and regional products.
In light of this, Dr Zammit Dimech has filed parliamentary questions noting that in the past, the distribution of fruit and vegetables in schools was offered by a company that sourced fresh local produce.
“For unknown reasons, the government awarded the tender to another firm which clearly is not in a position to keep the previous standards, even if fresh and local products are available in the market,” he said.
“Can the commission clarify whether frozen fruits and vegetables should be used when fresh, local products are available and if the current implementation procedures reflect the provisions set in the regulations?” he asked.
He also asked the commission whether it felt that such measures reflected the spirit of the EU’s common agricultural policy that sought to strengthen the position of small farmers from disadvantaged places in the food chain.
A third parliamentary question requested the commission to confirm whether it was aware of the situation in Malta and if any recommendations will be made to tackle it.
'All local, nothing frozen' - Ministry
The Environment Ministry has denied some of the key claims Dr Zammit Dimech's questions concerned, saying fruit and vegetables given to schoolchildren was sourced locally and not frozen.
It acknowledged that parents and teachers had also expressed concern about plastic packaging and straws, and said that the ministry was currently looking into ways of revising packaging. The packaging used previously, the ministry said, did not adequately protect fruit, which used to often reach children squashed.
Environment Minister Jose Herrera said that he was keen to revisit the tender's plastic provisions.
“I’m trying to address the issue of plastics and I will be meeting the contractor to see what we can do without infringing any regulations or laws and to try and make it more environmentally-friendly,” Dr Herrera said.